5 km behind the border

Fierce fighting in Ukraine, attacks in Russia

A poignant installation was unveiled before Ukraine's first match at the European Championship in Germany. It shows a destroyed stand at the Sonyachny Stadium in Kharkiv, which was built for the 2012 European Championships.(Bild: ASSOCIATED PRESS)

According to Russian reports, fierce fighting has broken out in parts of the north-eastern Ukrainian region of Kharkiv. Russia is once again being hit by drone attacks.

"The enemy is sending reserves and trying to launch a counterattack, but is encountering fierce resistance from our armed forces," says Vitaly Ganchev, the Russian-appointed governor of the Moscow-controlled areas of the Kharkiv region.

The Russian forces had repelled the latest Ukrainian counterattacks near Volchansk, five kilometers across the border. Russian troops had invaded parts of the Kharkiv region last month and, according to official figures, had captured around a dozen villages.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyi says that Kiev's armed forces are gradually driving the Russian troops out of the disputed region.

Oil storage facilities burn in Russia
Meanwhile, oil storage facilities in the Russian city of Azov in the Rostov region have caught fire following a Ukrainian drone attack, according to the governor responsible:

"According to initial information, there are no casualties," the governor of the southern Russian region, Vasily Golubev, announced via the short messaging service Telegram. The investigation is ongoing and the local fire department is trying to bring the fires under control.